"St. Clare was known to fast often, even before she left her family home. During the canonization process, one of her sisters said that Clare would fast three days a week. The other days she would subsist on bread and water. Because of her extreme fasting practices at times, at one point St. Francis had to insist that she eat. When we fast during Lent, do we truly see it as a sacrifice or just a rule to follow? For Clare, the purpose behind her fasting was what drove her actions. What is driving our actions?"
31 March 2023
Charles Gounod: Symphony No.1 in D major
It's time for some classical music. This is a presentation of Charles Gounod's Symphony No.1 in D major (Work Symphony) as presented by the Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä, conducted by Patrick Gallois:
Encountering Jesus in the Confessional
After she began converting to Catholicism in 2010, Leticia Ochoa Adams engaged in a lot of hard work and therapy to deal with the aftereffects of being sexually abused as a child. At the time, she developed a rosy, victorious outlook on her suffering, believing, "Those were just the things I had to go through in order to be this awesome Catholic"” Leticia realizes now how prideful she was back then because when her son Anthony committed suicide in 2017, none of those beliefs made any sense.
During a Christopher Closeup interview about her memoir Our Lady of Hot Messes: Getting Real with God in Dive Bars and Confessionals, Leticia told me about this difficult period of her life and how she eventually moved toward healing.
Filled with anger at God for months after Anthony's suicide, she went to Confession to Father Jonathan, the parish priest who had been a supportive friend to her family throughout their ordeal. Aware that the priest in that moment is standing "in persona Christi" (in the person of Christ), she unloaded her fury and pain and "let him have it." At the end, Father Jonathan simply responded, "It broke my heart, too."
Leticia observed, "I already knew Father Jonathan's heart was broken, losing Anthony. So, the only reason he would say those words to me is because it was Christ talking to me, and it broke His heart, too. . . . Of all the heartbreak I have, I don't love my son the way God loves him because God made him. And I don't grieve my son the way God grieves him because God was there and witnessed it from beginning to end and couldn't stop it. That changed everything for me. . . . I went on a mission to grow my relationship with [God], and not with this idea of Him that has to do with politics or this lifestyle or that lifestyle or this Mass or that Mass. It had everything to do with the God who made the heavens and earth."
Leticia's walk through suffering has changed her. She admits the mistakes she made raising her children, accepts responsibility for the harm some of her choices caused them, and is working toward repairing those things. She also realizes that just because you have faith in God doesn't mean your heart will never be broken. Noting that Jesus Himself experienced grief and wept, she said, "We don't have to mask these hard feelings by spiritually bypassing the suffering."
As readers of Our Lady of Hot Messes will discover, Leticia's view of God has also been changed by selling the house she and her husband used to live in and moving to the great outdoors. She said, "We moved to raw land about 17 months ago, which means there's no electricity, no water. We've had to build from scratch, and my current understanding of God is so much bigger than a fairy in the sky who just makes your wishes come true. There's no lights on our street, there's no light pollution out here. So, when I look up at the sky and see the stars, I'm in awe. The sunset, the sunrise, the weather patterns. It's so much different than living in a city. . . . I can see the allness of God, and how much everything He creates is beautiful, and how much He delights in that beauty. And that includes us. So, the person I can't stand, God finds delightful and gorgeous and beautiful. That's really changed how I see Him now."
This essay is a recent "Light One Candle"
column by Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, The Christophers; it is one of a series of
weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current
events.
Background information:
The Christophers
Reflection Starter from Lee Brown
"In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact." - Lee Brown
30 March 2023
Lent with St. Clare: Fifth Thursday of Lent
"When Clare left her home to join Francis and his brothers, her family immediately sought to bring her back, even using force to try to do so. But Clare held tight to both the altar and her conviction as they tried to drag her away. She knew that this was the life she wished to lead and was willing to resist any attempts to prevent it. This was the path that would bring her happiness.
"Clare's actions should make us think: What in our own lives are we willing to hold fast to, even when it is difficult, or we face challenges in doing so?"
Kool Vibes and Carlton: "Guantanamera"
It's time for some steelpan (or steel drum) music, a type of music I enjoy. In this video, Kool Vibes and Carlton are presenting "Guantanamera":
Fr. Jack Loughran, OSFS, on Living in the Present Moment
"Happy Farch 58th! Yes, Farch. Something looks wrong, but it's fine the way it is. Let me explain.
I was in my first year of theological studies in Toronto. The semester was tough academically and was dragging along. In addition, we were all suffering from vitamin D deficiency - no sunshine!"In a recent commentary, Father Jack Loughran,
OSFS, reflected on the importance of living in the present moment.
To access Fr. Loughran's complete post, please visit:
De Sales Weekly: Provincial's Reflection: Happy Farch 58th! (30 MAR 23)
Reflection Starter from Marcus Aurelius
"Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?" - Marcus Aurelius
29 March 2023
Lent with St. Clare: Fifth Wednesday of Lent
"When we look back at the life of St. Clare, it's easy for us to see how everything she did provides a lesson and example to us. She didn't set out to be a model of faith. At the time, she was only living out what she saw as a call to serve God simply, humbly, and obediently. Knowing her actions would bring others closer to Christ would have brought her even more joy."
Meghan Clark on All of God's Creatures Having Value and Needing Our Care
". . .Care for our common home, as Pope Francis frames our responsibility to care for the Earth, is central to our Christian faith. To be human, he notes in Laudato Si' (On Care for Our Common Home), is to be in relationship not only with God and our neighbors, but 'with the earth itself.' It can be hard to grapple with our relationship to the Earth. We are wholly and entirely dependent upon creation for our survival. At the same time, the magnitude of both climate change and our responsibility to respond is overwhelming.
"Navigating the personal amidst the collective call to care for creation is difficult. . . ."In a recent essay, Meghan J. Clark, associate professor of theology at St. John's University. New York, NY, reflected on how care for creation is not only a moral duty but also an act of worship - "[a]ll of creation glorifies the creator and is loved by God."
To access her complete essay, please visit:
U.S. Catholic: All God's creatures have value and dignity (April 2023)Reflection Starter from St. John Chrysostom
"No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great." - attributed to Saint John Chrysostom
28 March 2023
Five Planets Aligning in Night Sky This Week
"You'll need a full hand of fingers to count how many planets you'll be able to see in the night sky this week. Just after sunset, sky watchers will have the opportunity to see Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury and Uranus form an arch stretching into the evening sky. And don’t forget to take a peek at the moon, too!"
To access a Washington Post article on this alignment, please visit:
The Washington Post: How to watch 5 planets align in the night sky this week (28 MAR 23)
Lent with St. Clare: Fifth Tuesday of Lent
"'You will give birth to a light that will shine brilliantly in the world.' - Message Clare's mother, Ortalana, received while pregnant
" In the Acts of the Process of Canonization, it was noted that Clare told her sisters about her mother receiving this message while in church one day during her pregnancy. Could this have inspired Clare's name, which means 'bright,' or was it just a foretelling of this child's impact on the world? She certainly did become a light for society - both then and now - shining far and wide."
Gaither Vocal Band" Medley of "Through It All / Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus / Soon and Very Soon"
As we continue to live this week, I offer this version of the Gaither Vocal Band presenting a medley of "Through It All," "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus," and "Soon and Very Soon":
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the grace to open ourselves to opportunities to make time for the present moment.
Br. Patrick Bubel, O.P., on Making Time for the Present Moment
"'Happy Opening Day!'
"Baseball fans will exchange this happy greeting in two days, when the 2023 MLB season officially begins. Sadly, this greeting will often receive the perplexed response: 'Opening day for what?'
"Critics of baseball point to a troublesome decline in attendance and a lack of in-game excitement as evidence that baseball is losing relevance. . . ..
"Stopgap efforts to change baseball in
order to appeal to a younger generation will ultimately fail, however,
unless a deeper problem is addressed. A deeper problem that doesn't only
affect baseball."
In a recent commentary, Brother Patrick Bubel, O.P., reflected on how "we have forgotten how to enter into the present moment . . . and flee from any potential moment of silence and stillness."
To access Br. Patrick's complete post, please visit:
Dominicana: No Time for the Pastime (28 MAR 23)
Reflection Starter
"Smile awhile,
And while you smile,
Another smiles,
And soon there's miles
And miles of smiles,
And life's worth while
Because you smile." - Source unknown
27 March 2023
Lent with St. Clare: Fifth Monday of Lent
"Beginning with Mother Mary, our faith is blessed with a long line of strong and holy women. Clare is definitely one of them. Just like Mary, it took great strength and courage to take the path that she did. Just for a moment imagine what it would be like to walk away from everything you own. Could you replace a life of comfort with a rough brown robe and bare feet? Such a decision shows immense strength of character and devotion to her faith."
Bishop Tobin on Seeing Ourselves as Jesus Does
"There are several incidents in the Gospels in which Jesus cured the
blind and allowed them to see. These miracles are among the most
dramatic miracles that Jesus performed, for they completely changed the
lives of the people he touched. But it's good to recall, too, that in
working his miracles, Jesus was concerned not only for the physical
well-being of those who turned to him, but for their spiritual health as
well."
In a recent commentary, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, of the Diocese of Providence
(RI), reflected on the importance of seeing ourselves as Jesus sees us..
To access Bishop Tobin's complete essay, please visit:
The Imitation of Christ: Lord, Help Us To See (16 MAR 23)
26 March 2023
Lent with St. Clare: Fifth Sunday of Lent
"Clare's holiness began while she was still a child. She was known for her mercy for others, often wore a hairshirt under her fine clothes, and vowed celibacy at a young age. Those stirrings were fueled by her mother's staunch faith. During a war between Assisi and Perugia, she served others while her family was in exile in Perugia. It couldn't have been easy to seem so misaligned with the society into which she was born. Despite that, however, she was determined to stay true to her love of Christ."
Chelsea Moon and the Franz Brothers: "What Wondrous Love Is This?"
As we continue our Sunday celebration, I offer this version of Chelsea Moon and the Franz Brothers presenting: "What Wondrous Love Is This?":
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Today the Church celebrates the Fifth Sunday of Lent. The assigned readings
are Ezekiel 37:12-14, Romans 8:8-11, and John 11:1-45. The
Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 130 (Psalm 130:1-8).
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 130 "With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption"
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill. So the sisters sent word to him saying, "Master, the one you love is ill." When Jesus heard this he said, "This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." He said this, and then told them, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him." So the disciples said to him, "Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved." But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. So then Jesus said to them clearly, "Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him." So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go to die with him."
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world."
When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, "The teacher is here and is asking for you." As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Sir, come and see." And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him." But some of them said, "Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?"
So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the dead man's sister, said to him, "Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me." And when he had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go."
Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.
Reflections related to these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflections: Fifth Sunday of Lent
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Fifth Sunday of Lent (March 26, 2023)
Community in Mission: That You May Believe - A Homily for the 5th Sunday of Lent (25 MAR 23)
Benedictine College: This Sunday, Your Friend Jesus Will Weep When You Die (23 MAR 23)
Magis Center for Catholic Spirituality: Fifth Sunday of Lent
Tom Hoopes on Christianity as a Faith with a Woman's Touch
"There is a certain womanly touch about Christianity, and Catholicism in particular.
"Some ways are obvious; others not so much.
"Look at the obvious one for starters: The Church is a bride to Christ the bridegroom. . . ."
In a recent commentary, Tom Hoopes (writer in residence at Benedictine College,
Atchison, Kansas) reflected on some of the waysin which the Church has a womanly touch.
Aleteia: Tom Hoopes: Christianity: The faith with a woman's touch (29 MAR 23)
Reflection Starter from Pope Francis
"Every human person is sacred and inviolable. To ensure that a society has a future, it is necessary that a sense of respect be matured for the dignity of every person, no matter in what condition they find themselves." - Pope Francis
25 March 2023
Gimnazija Kranj Symphony Orchestra, Choirs and Soloists: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of the Gimnazija Kranj Symphony Orchestra, Choirs and Soloists: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough":
Lent with St. Clare: Fourth Saturday of Lent
"Throughout her life, Clare demonstrated great compassion for others. Nowhere was this more evident than in the care of her sisters. There are accounts of her encouraging sisters who were struggling with the challenges of their order to have grace with themselves. She sat with those who suffered from depression and consoled those who shed tears. Hers was a ministry of presence and service."
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